Moscow

As the capital of a country so large that it spans nine time
zones and two continents, Moscow was always going to be a pretty
exciting place; combine that with the fact that it morphed from the
beating heart of communist Europe to capitalist panacea in the
space of a decade, and you've got a city like no other.

From the gallery

Our guide to holidays in Moscow

The grandeur of the city's architecture certainly reflects the
pomp and spectacle of the city's Soviet and imperial past. From
towering skyscrapers and vast squares to metro stations glittering
with marble and chandeliers, Moscow is anything but understated.
Handy then that the main sites - the colourful onion domes of Saint
Basil's Cathedral and the ramparts of the Kremlin and Lenin's
iconic mausoleum are all on Red Square.

Further cultural pleasures await in the world's finest
collection of Russian art at the Tretyakov Gallery and, of course,
at the Bolshoi Theatre. To whet your intellectual appetite even
more, Moscow has provided the setting for some of the greatest
works of modern literature, including the apparition of the devil
in Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita.

But while the architecture may reflect former glories, in modern
Moscow bling is the thing, with fur coats and fast cars the latter
day devil of temptation. Muscovites love nothing more than showing
off their well (and occasionally ill-) gotten gains and as a result
the nightlife scene is one of the finest in the world.

One final thing to consider - the inhabitants of Moscow perceive
their city through the prism of an age old rivalry with cultural
capital of St. Petersburg, and the feeling is entirely
mutual. While St Petersburg is undeniably more beautiful,
Muscovites would argue their patch is way more fun, and with
regular high speed trains between the two, there's a very easy to
make the comparison.

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Original Highlight

The Red October chocolate factory on Bolotny Island, former bastion of communist central planning (and bad chocolate) has now been transformed into a hipster hub containing many of Moscow’s trendiest bars, restaurants and galleries.

Flight from London

Time Difference

Explore Moscow

Thank you so much for the wonderful wonderful Sharky and George
packs! They are quite marvellous - and I thought the way the
tickets and itinerary were packed was top notch! We really will be
booking again with you!